How to Install Complianz on WordPress for Free (Step-by-Step Guide)

What You Need Before Starting

Before installing Complianz, make sure you have:

• A working WordPress website
• Administrator access to your WordPress dashboard
• Your business or website owner information
• A contact email address for privacy-related questions
• A basic understanding of which analytics and external services your website uses

You should also know whether your website uses Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, YouTube, Google Fonts, advertising scripts, or other third-party services.

Step-by-Step: How to Install Complianz on WordPress

Step 1 – Open the WordPress Plugin Installer

Log in to your WordPress dashboard. In the left-hand menu, go to Plugins → Add Plugin.

This opens the WordPress plugin directory, where you can search for free plugins.

Step 2 – Find and Install the Complianz Plugin

Enter Complianz in the search field. Look for the plugin named Complianz– GDPR/CCPA Cookie Consent.

Make sure the plugin is published by Complianz. Click Install Now.

WordPress will download and install the plugin automatically.

Step 3 – Activate Complianz

After installation, the button changes from Install Now to Activate. Click it to enable Complianz on your website.

Complianz will add a new section to the WordPress dashboard menu.

Step 4 – Start the Complianz Setup Wizard

Go to Complianz → Dashboard. The dashboard shows the setup progress and any remaining configuration tasks.

Click Continue Wizard to begin.

Step 5 – Choose Your Privacy Region

Complianz first asks which privacy law or guideline should be used for your worldwide visitors.

For a website that mainly targets visitors in Estonia or elsewhere in the European Union, select European Union (GDPR).

Answer the additional questions based on your own website:

• Select whether you specifically target Germany, Austria, Belgium, or Spain.
• Select whether visitors can log in to a restricted area of the website.

Click Save and Continue.

Step 6 – Choose Your Legal Documents

Next, choose how Complianz should handle your Cookie Policy and other legal documents.

In the free version, Complianz can generate a Cookie Policy. Select Generated with Complianz if you do not already have one.

For your Privacy Statement, select the option that matches your website:

• Existing page if you already have a Privacy Policy page
• URL if the statement is hosted elsewhere
• None if you are not connecting one during this setup

Some additional legal documents are Premium features. You do not need to upgrade to complete the basic cookie banner setup.

Click Save and Continue.

Step 7 – Enter Your Website Information

Complianz uses your website information when generating the Cookie Policy and configuring the consent banner.

Enter the following information:

• The name of the website owner or business
• The business or website owner’s address
• The country where the owner is located
• An email address for privacy-related questions
• A telephone number, if you want to provide one

Check that the details are accurate before clicking Save and Continue.

Step 8 – Configure Security and Consent Options

The Security & Consent screen includes additional privacy features.

In the free version, Records of Consent and Data Request Forms may require an upgrade. You can leave these set to No for this basic setup.

You can also choose whether to respect browser signals such as Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control. Consider how these settings fit your privacy approach before continuing.

Click Save and Continue.

Step 9 – Authenticate and Scan Your Website

Complianz scans your website to identify first-party cookies and known third-party services. Learn more about how cookie scanners work if you’re unfamiliar with this process.

On the Website Scan screen, standard posts and pages should be selected. The free scan may not cover custom post types.

If the scan requires authentication, click Start. Complianz will ask you to enter an email address.

Click Continue. Then open the email sent by Complianz and click Confirm my email.

Return to WordPress after confirming the email. Continue the wizard once the scan is available.

Step 10 – Tell Complianz How You Use Statistics

The Statistics section asks whether your website uses analytics and how the analytics script is added. If you don’t know what GTM is, read our guide to Google Tag Manager before choosing this option.

Select the option that matches your website. Common choices include:

• Yes, and Google Tag Manager fires this script if analytics is loaded through Google Tag Manager
• Yes, with Google Analytics if Google Analytics is added directly
• Yes, with Matomo if you use Matomo
• No if the website does not use analytics

Do not select Google Tag Manager unless your website actually uses it.

Step 11 – Avoid Adding Google Tag Manager Twice

If you selected Google Tag Manager, Complianz may ask whether it should add the GTM container to your website.

If GTM is not currently installed elsewhere and you want Complianz to add it, select Yes and enter your GTM container ID.

If GTM is already installed through your theme, Google Site Kit, another plugin, or custom code, select No.

Google Consent Mode v2 is shown as a Premium option in this free setup. Leave it disabled unless you are using a supported Premium configuration.

Step 12 – Select the Third-Party Services Used by Your Website

Complianz now asks about external services that may load cookies, scripts, fonts, videos, maps, advertising, or social media content.

Select only the services your website actually uses. These may include:

• Google Fonts
• Google reCAPTCHA
• Google Maps
• YouTube or Vimeo
• Advertising scripts
• Social media buttons or embedded content
• WordPress comments

If Google Fonts are loaded from Google’s servers, Complianz can identify and manage them. Self-hosting the fonts locally may provide better privacy and performance.

Click Save and Continue.

Step 13 – Review Detected Plugin Integrations

Complianz automatically checks active WordPress plugins and known services.

Review the detected integrations. In this example, Complianz found active plugin integrations and Google Fonts.

The results will be different on your website. Click Save and Continue when the detected integrations look correct.

Step 14 – Synchronize Cookie Information

Complianz connects cookie information with CookieDatabase.org. This helps it add descriptions of identified cookies and services to the generated Cookie Policy.

Click Sync and review the detected services. Unknown services may require further investigation.

When the synchronization is complete, click Continue.

Step 15 – Create the Cookie Policy Page

Complianz creates the necessary Cookie Policy page based on the information collected during the wizard.

You can change the page title if needed. Click Update if you make changes, then click Save and Continue.

Remember that the generated policy depends on the answers and services you selected. Review the page before relying on it as your final published Cookie Policy.

Step 16 – Add the Cookie Policy to Your Menu

Complianz can add the Cookie Policy page to one of your WordPress menus.

Select a suitable menu from the dropdown, such as your footer menu. You can also leave the field empty and add the page manually later through Appearance → Menus or your theme’s navigation settings.

Click Save and Continue.

Step 17 – Activate the Cookie Banner and Script Blocker

On the final wizard screen, enable the cookie banner and cookie/script blocker.

For a standard GDPR setup, select:

• Show Consent Banner → Yes
• Enable cookie and script blocker → Yes

Click Finish to complete the wizard.

Step 18 – Review the Cookie Banner Settings

Go to Complianz → Consent Banner to review and customize the banner.

Under the General settings, confirm that the banner follows common cookie banner requirements and includes clear options for:

• Accepting cookies
• Denying non-essential cookies
• Viewing and changing preferences

You can also customize the banner’s appearance, colors, text, and other display settings.

Avoid enabling options that dismiss the banner automatically when a visitor scrolls or waits. Consent should be based on a clear action by the visitor.

Step 19 – Understand Remaining Complianz Dashboard Warnings

After completing the wizard, the Complianz dashboard may still show open tasks or Premium recommendations.

This does not always mean that the basic setup has failed. In the free version, you may still see notices about:

• Custom post types that were not included in the free scan
• Premium legal documents
• Google Consent Mode v2
• Duplicate statistics or tracking implementations
• An existing Privacy Policy that should be reviewed

Focus on genuine configuration problems. Premium feature recommendations can remain visible even when the free cookie banner is active.

Step 20 – Test the Complianz Cookie Banner

Open your website in a private or incognito browser window while logged out of WordPress.

The Complianz consent banner should appear when the page loads.

Check that:

• The cookie banner appears for a new visitor
• The Accept button works
• The Deny button works
• The View preferences button opens the preference settings
• The Cookie Policy link opens the correct page
• The banner does not immediately reappear after saving a choice

You should also check whether non-essential analytics and marketing cookies are blocked before consent.

How to Check Whether Cookies Are Blocked Before Consent

Displaying a banner is only one part of the setup. You should also check that analytics and marketing cookies do not load before the visitor gives consent.

A simple test is:

1. Open the website in an incognito window.
2. Do not click Accept.
3. Open the browser’s developer tools.
4. Check the Application or Storage section for cookies.
5. Accept cookies and compare the results again.

Non-essential cookies should normally appear only after the relevant consent has been given.

You can also use our Cookie Scanner as an additional check, but automated scans should not replace manual testing.

Common Complianz Setup Problems

The Cookie Banner Does Not Appear

Make sure you clicked Finish in the setup wizard and enabled Show Consent Banner.

Then clear your website cache and test again in an incognito window. The banner may also stay hidden if your browser already contains a saved consent choice.

Google Analytics Loads Before Consent

Check how Google Analytics or Google Tag Manager is installed. It may be loaded by your theme, another plugin, Google Site Kit, or custom code.

Make sure the same tracking script is not installed in several places.

Complianz Reports a Duplicate Statistics Tool

This usually means that the same analytics or tag management script has been detected more than once.

Choose one installation method and remove or disable the duplicate implementation.

The Free Scan Does Not Cover Every Page

The free Website Scan may have limited coverage and may not include custom post types. Test important templates and website areas manually.

Complianz Premium provides additional scanning and automation features, but you do not need Premium simply to complete the basic free setup.

The Cookie Policy Is Missing From the Website

Check that the Cookie Policy page was created and published. Add it to your footer or another visible website menu if it was not added during the wizard.

Is the Free Version of Complianz Enough?

The free version can be enough for a small WordPress website that needs a basic cookie banner, cookie scanning, script blocking, and a generated Cookie Policy for one primary region.

You may need Complianz Premium if your website requires features such as:

• Consent management for multiple regions
• Google Consent Mode v2 through Complianz
• Records of Consent
• Additional legal documents
• More advanced website scanning
• Coverage for more complex website configurations

Read our Complianz Pricing guide to compare the free and paid options.

Final Thoughts

Installing Complianz on WordPress is straightforward, but the answers in the setup wizard must match the services and tracking tools used by your website.

After completing the wizard, do not stop at the Finish button. Test the banner in an incognito window, check the Accept and Deny options, open the Cookie Policy, and confirm that non-essential cookies are blocked before consent.

Next Step: Review Your Cookie Consent Setup

Your Complianz cookie banner should now be active. The next step is to test your website carefully and fix any services or scripts that still load before consent.

Not sure whether Complianz is the right long-term option? Compare it with other solutions in our How to Choose the Right Cookie Consent Tool.